Tereza Cervenka, MD

Current Position:   Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota

Education:     1987 – 1991, B.A., St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN
                      1996 – 2000, M.D., University of Minnesota
                      2000 – 2003, Residency, University of Minnesota
                      2003 – 2007, Pulmonary/Critical Care Fellow, University of MN.

• Utilize mass spectrometry, MALDI-TOF, to obtain direct protein profiles that predict lung rejection from stored BALF samples of lung transplant recipients.
• Determine if the biomarker identified in BALF is present in extra-alveolar fluid such as plasma, urine, and breath condensate.
• Identify the specific protein biomarkers by MS/MS to gain insight into mechanisms of disease.

Proteomics: In the lab, Dr. Cervenka focused on the prospective analysis of bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF) proteomics to diagnose chronic rejection. She worked prospective samples to validate biomarkers previously described from archived samples and retrospective analysis. She and her cohorts identified multiple biomarkers of chronic allograft rejection in lung transplantation that appear in the BALF months prior to the onset of clinical disease. She collected over 350 prospective samples and these samples were the basis of a manuscript that was published in 2006.

Biostatistics and Bioinformatics: This was an important aspect of Dr. Cervenka’s work. She worked with Dr. Reilly, PhD, Biostatistics and Kay Savik, MS, Statistics, regarding data interpretation. She was an active participant in the created Lung Transplant Research Database that combines our research data with the clinical database that is already in existence.  Dr. Cervenka also participated in the formation and function of this database.

Publications:

Zhang Y, Wroblewski M, Hertz M, Wendt C, Cervenka T, Nelsestuen G. Analysis of chronic lung transplant rejection by MALDI-TOF profiles of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Proteomics  2006; 6(3):1001-1010.  

Abstracts and Presentations:

Cervenka T, Nelsestuen G, Martinez M, Hertz M, Wendt C.  Human neutrophil defensins 1-3: A biomarker of chronic lung allograft rejection.  Am J Transplant 2004; S8(4):273.

Wendt C, Cervenka T, Zhang Y, Hertz M, Nelsestuen G.Biomarkers of chronic lung allorgraft rejection: A proteomic approach.  Poster presentation of abstract, American Thoracic Society, 5/2005.

Cervenka T, Nelsestuen G. Savik K. Hertz M. Wendt C. Clara cell secretory protein is a biomarker for chronic lung allograft rejection due to early targeting of clara cells. Oral presentation of abstract, American Thoracic Society 5/2006.

Cervenka T, Nelsestuen G, Savik K. Hertz M. Wendt C. Human neutrophil defensins 1-3 predict the diagnosis of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome in a prospective analysis of lung transplant patients. Oral presentation of abstract, American Thoracic Society 5/2006.

Last updated 4/22/2008